Nursing bitch cannot settle

[Sophieox89]

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i have a bitch with 4 week old puppies. Puppies are all healthy and doing great it is the bitch who can no longer settle on a night since becoming a mum. Previous to giving birth she is crate trained and she can only settle when locked in her crate at night.. now with pups she needs to be able to get to them in their whelping box and also get away from them. This is now a problem as she is free-roaming on a night time and cannot settle and barks all night because she has no ‘safe space’ what do I do? Should i bring the crate back and separate her from pups at night time only? They are slowly weaning onto puppy food but still cry and scream for mums milk even when food is offered

 

[JudyN]

Could you put the crate in the room she and the pups are in, with the door open? Would she settle in it then?

 

[Hemlock]

This is quite usual. Pups have needle teeth by now and hurt the mother dog when they nurse. Also they are heavier and stronger, and tug her harder.

Give her the safe space she needs. Pups won't suffer, and you can give them some of their solid food last thing so they settle, and first thing so they aren't too forceful when they feed. By 4 weeks, most pups are well able to manage solid food, and just top up on milk after a meal.